Detour: Road projects span Route 31 through entire county

This week we’ll start with the ongoing projects to improve Route 31, or roads that connect with it, spanning the entire county.

• ROUTES 31 AND 176: The $10.18 million widening and modernizing of the intersection of Routes 31 and 176 is still slow going. You may want to find an alternate north-south route during peak travel hours.

• SPEAKING OF ROUTE 31: That closure Friday afternoon between Cary and Klasen roads north of downtown Algonquin was caused by a gas leak.

• AND SPEAKING OF ALGONQUIN: Watch for workers and delays as workers continue a $33 million project to build a 2-mile, four-lane highway west of downtown Algonquin to relieve congestion on Route 31.

Algonquin Road between Main Street and Meyer Drive will be down to one lane through this fall. Watch for lane closures on Route 31/Main Street. South Main Street has one lane closed between Edgewood and Huntington drives, and North Main Street has one lane closed between Cary-Algonquin Road and Linden Avenue.

Huntington Drive will remain closed between Circle Drive and South Main Street through summer 2014. A detour to Edgewood Drive is posted.

As long as we’re talking about Route 31 ...

• JOHNSBURG ROAD: Only westbound traffic is allowed to travel along the road from Chapel Hill Road to Cherokee Drive. Eastbound traffic is being rerouted through a Route 31, Route 120, Chapel Hill Road detour.

Work this week will focus on the stretch between Riverside Drive and Route 31, including roadway base, storm sewers and light pole foundations. Expect temporary lane changes downtown during work hours.

• CHARLES J. MILLER ROAD: Work is ongoing to create another two-lane span over the Fox River and widen Miller Road to four lanes with dedicated turn lanes from Route 31 to River Road.

The first phase, which consists primarily of building the new span and improving the intersection of Miller and River roads, will cost about $12 million and is anticipated to be finished by the end of October, weather permitting.

• KREUTZER ROAD: Kreutzer Road west of Route 47 is closed as part of the project to extend the road west to Main Street. Drivers still can access the shopping center south of the closed stretch through access points along Route 47.

The closure is expected to last a month to six weeks.

• ROUTE 22: Repaving work continues on Route 22 from Route 14 to Route 12. Work is expected to be finished in October.

Also watch out for emergency vehicles, given that Route 22 is the main access to Advocate Good Shepherd. Road workers will be giving priority to those vehicles.

• INTERSTATE 90 AND ROUTE 47: Be prepared for delays along Route 47 as work continues to create a full interchange. The completion date for the $69 million project is set for late fall.

• LAWRENCE ROAD BRIDGE: Lawrence Road is down to one lane with a temporary traffic signal as workers replace the bridge over Piscasaw Creek. Weidner Road is closed at its intersection with Lawrence Road. The project is scheduled to be finished at the end of October.

• READ ALL ABOUT IT: You can sign up at NWHerald.com/newsletter to get a weekly email update on road projects throughout construction season. You also can find updates online at NWHerald.com/construction.

Sources: McHenry County Division of Transportation, Kane County Division of Transportation, Village of Algonquin, Village of Huntley, Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Toll Highway Authority.